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I'm so psyched-- the beans I planted last Friday are poking up!!! No big news, except that we had about 7.5 inches of rain over the weekend. I was afraid that the seed I'd planted had washed away into my neighbor's garden. Still waiting on the sweet corn, but there's still time.
Today, I put in some more tomatoes and corn, summer squash, and pole beans. All of it's in the new bed, in my side yard. Great sun, and away from the dog!
Thought I would ask for some more recent, middle-of-summer updates.
Here in New England, it has been very hot and humid, and dry up until a few days ago. My beans, melons, cucumbers, collards, carrots, tomatoes, etc were hanging in there, but were looking a bit crispy. The snap peas and radishes are done.
We had rain 2 days ago, and I went out for a quick check this morning to see how things were looking. I was amazed at how fast things have grown in just a few days! The mustard greens in pots grew about 5 inches, and the cukes and melons have blossoms. The heirloom tomatoes I started from seed in late May might actually produce some tomatoes! Very exciting!:D
And how are things in your little patch of earth?
After a dry and extremely hot 2 weeks, the garden was looking a bit crunchy. But thanks to the miracle of a wet weekend, everything's looking up!! Right now, I'm getting lots of green beans-- the bush beans are tapering off, but the pole beans are ramping up. Still have some swiss chard going. Lots of ripe cherry tomatoes, the romas are just starting to ripen, and a couple different varieties of slicing tomatoes are showing signs of pink. And I'm planning on eating my first zucchini tonight (many more to follow), maybe with the first bell pepper.
Herbs: my cats are loving the fresh catnip, and I have basil for me. The cilantro didn't make it, tho...
Yet to come: the sweet corn's looking a lot better after the rain (but I never get much). Pumpkin and butternut squash are looking promising. And I planted some more stuff recently, looking towards the fall (beets, carrots, cabbage).
One of these years the garden will take over the yard!
Southern California and you would think we would have perfect weather. Well, we live by the coast, can see the ocean. With it, we get marine layer/fog and the cold.
It's been cloudy, foggy and its very humid in the morning and on some days, sun would come out. It's been like that since April. Three days ago, we were wearing our jackets out at 3:00pm. you would think you were living in pacific northwest.
The marine layer has caused powdery mildew to go crazy and managed to destroy half of my cucumber, more than half of my tomato, and all of my zucchini and squash. The upside for us is that our growing season goes well into November and December. We already have replacement seedlings going so hopefully we can salvage our season.
Even with the poor weather, we managed to pickle full years worth of bread and butter pickle of zucchini. have had home made tomato sauce for our pasta...tomato and cucmber salad... Okra a total loss, bell pepper nada. tomatillo is growing crazy don't know why... Jalepeno, serrano, shishito are fairing okay 2 varieties of eggplants are managed to avoid the mildew... only one mellon plant survived the "June gloom".
no canned tomato yet.
Corn got a late start so they are only waist high.
My vegetable garden has been hugely successful this year-
Here's a pic from June 1st.
And here is from the end of June:
One view,
and the other side
We have been drowning in lettuces and salad greens of all kinds for the past 6 weeks, with no end in sight. (i am heavy into succession planting)
Lots of baby cukes and string beans, and lots of green tomatoes.
Everything except the tomatoes is direct-seeded right into the garden.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGz...uceCounter.jpg
Lisa - your garden is beautiful! Is that borage there in the front of one of those photos? Do you eat it or is it just there for insect protection and visual interest?
I have a bunch of photos on my camera, but I'm missing my cable so I can't download them. Our garden is growing like gangbusters. Both the boxes and the row garden area...it's unreal! We are so pleased at the success we've had with things that we failed at last year. I've harvested so much broccoli that I haven't had to buy it in months and I eat a lot of broccoli! The peas and kale are still going nuts and while the first planting of spinach did really well, I need to get more in the ground. We've had a cold wet spring, but it suits my tastes just fine as the spring veggies are my favorites anyway. ;)
We did fail miserably at growing sweet potatoes once again. Maybe I'll just have to accept that three strikes and I'm out? Oy. I think it's too cold here.
Lisa, your garden takes my breath away! How beautiful!
GLC, sweet potatoes like it hot hot hot! I can't imagine they'll do much in the PNW. I did have luck growing them in Maryland a few years ago. Get a new cable already! We want to see pics of your Eden!
I've expanded my garden this year. I'll take some photos and post them.
Oak, from your May question:
I rotate my raised beds just by rotating them. I have 7 beds that are roughly 6'x3', and one long one that is 13'x3'. I just plant different things in each bed. I have two wire bins for potatoes, and those rotate around year-to-year. No corn; not worth it for me when there's a corn field 2 miles away with a farm stand. The only thing that I don't rotate is my herb garden, which is a half-circle. It's new, so it's kindof bare this year, but I'll post a picture soon.
I know...but I was hopeful. It does get hot here, particularly in the valley I live in, but the nights are ALWAYS cool and our season is very short. I tried a potato variety that supposedly does well in this region this year and got NOTHING. I'm annoyed. I think I might contact the growers where I bought the slips as they are also local and might have some hints for me. I *might* give it one more shot.Quote:
Originally Posted by tulip
I can't wait to see your herb garden! I'm really procrastinating on mine. I've got a few annual herbs in with my regular garden, but I haven't even started my perennial garden yet. I have decided on two locations so all I need to do now is make it happen. You know...in all that free time... :rolleyes:
It's for my honeybees (and any other bees who want to share). I have several flowers for bees in the veggie garden.Quote:
Originally Posted by GLC1968
We need pix of your gardens! Did the rose bushes at ends of beds work well for you? How are your animals doing?
Thanks! I remember when you gave me that advice about utilizing the space in my old small garden better, and planting closer together. I've been following that advice successfully ever since, and it works well for me. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by tulip
But my biggest tactic that works is successive planting of just one or two 3' rows with seed frequently, and yanking out the older stuff somewhat ruthlessly and composting it.
Seeds are fairly cheap, and life's to short to eat bitter bolting lettuce! :D
More kohlrabi!! lol
Oh, I'm so jealous - I'm lucky if I get that much growth in a season let alone one month!
I spent two days in New Hampshire prior to my niece's wedding doing landscaping in 97 degree 100% humidity. I love the growing back there; but I just don't want to deal with the winters and the inability to get away from them; so I will stay in Flag at 7,000 feet!
But, I really would love the gardening . . .
I was away for a week; so I am behind in my weeding; I will try to get a picture of my little tiny garden this weekend so you can see what is up!
spoke
OK, here goes:
This is our row garden taken on July4.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...ardenjuly4.jpg
We have a very late summer this year, so a lot of things are just now getting going. Here we have tomatoes, two types of corn, winter squash, summer squash, melons, beans and garlic in the back. Potatoes hadn't yet been planted (they go where the black plastic is and I'll also be doing fall broccoli where the garlic is after we harvest (next week!).
This is our squarefoot gardening section also taken on July4.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...boxesjuly4.jpg
Kale, carrots, radishes, parsnips, beets, peppers, tomatoes, cukes, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, lettuce, chard, spinach, potatoes, strawberries, and onions.
This is the section of row garden that was covered with black plastic - it's now our newly planted second potato patch (the first is in the boxes - we are experimenting to see where they do better):
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...toesjuly11.jpg
This is our 7 new blueberry bushes and our drip system. Someday we'll get a real harvest from these but not this year...
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...rriesjuly4.jpg
Red plums - should be ripe in a couple of weeks:
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...plumsjuly4.jpg
And for good measure - here are a couple of other things that we are 'growing' ;)
The bees 'hanging out on the front porch' on a hot day last week:
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...frontporch.jpg
The taller hive is just MASSIVE and filling with honey like crazy!
A pregnant Skylark (due end of August):
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/u...larkjuly11.jpg
Yippee! GLC garden pics!
Almost as good as a blog entry....
Did you know Nov. 17 is Homemade Bread Day? I thought of you as I was prepping my writing prompt for that day. :)
Veronica
Great to get these updates from everyone! :)
GLC- my two hives are doing very well too! But mine are mostly just building up their population their first year now....i doubt there'll be any excess honey for me this year.
My new blueberry bushes are just babies too.
It's been a very hot summer, with several weeks over 100F. Some of my plants did not like that a bit--I still have yet to see one zucchini! Others just hunkered down and waited it out. Now that's it's cooler, things have picked up again.
I created several new beds this summer. The herb half-moon bed will be fabulous next year, when the lavender and rosemary fill in the border and I get additional herbs in. Right now there's alot of basil, zinnias, and cosmos to fill in.
The sunflowers are kindof all over, but I like them that way. And the melons, squash, and pumpkins have taken over, too.
39 Hollyhocks for my perennial gardens in the front, side, and back.
Lots of leeks for the winter potager.
I'm so jealous of all your gardens!! I can't wait to have a proper vegetable garden, but for now I have to make do with pots on my patio.
"garden"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...f/CIMG2294.jpg
my haul today:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...f/CIMG2293.jpg
Question I have, which may very well have been asked/answered earlier but I can't go through 27 pages: how do you keep some veg/herbs from "bolting"? I was trying to keep the cilantro and swiss chard from bolting, but no go. It was a futile endeavor so I just let them go.
And incidentally, does anyone know what this tree is? I'm thinking it's part of a hazel family, but I've yet to see it anywhere for me to actually identify it. It flowers bell-shaped purple flowers and bear seeded pods:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...f/CIMG2296.jpg
sorry for the bright background:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...f/CIMG2297.jpg
What a beautiful garden, Badger! Cilantro bolts when it gets the least bit hot, but the seeds are Coriander and you can collect them and use them in cooking. Or you can use them to replant cilantro for the cooler months. Plant them now.
I've never had Swiss chard bot. It seems to last all winter and summer here.
Wow, great stuff, everyone!
Lee planted a couple of large pots, one with heirloom tomatoes and the other with grape tomatoes. They did great, and we've been enjoying the harvest over the last couple of weeks.
More ambitious plans are now in the offing. :cool:
PS - how's Skylark doing, GLC?
You guys...our garden is a disaster! Things are so over-grown that it's scary! We've been good about watering this summer (we now have a good drip system installed) but we've been terrible about maintenance or harvesting and it shows! I'm almost afraid to close my eyes at night for fear that it takes over while we are sleeping!! :eek:
I did manage to harvest a bunch of tomatoes and beans and summer squash last night. And I beat back the strawberries which are desparately attempting to take over other boxes! The winter squash is doing unbelieveably well (it's climbing up the corn, now!). One corn variety is GORGEOUS and I cannot wait to harvest some (it went in late this year). The potatoes are doing well, the garlic was fan-freaking-tastic (I'll have to post pictures of our haul!) and we are now picking plums, apples, tomatoes and blackberries daily. We will have a bumper crop of carrots too. Oh...but no zucchini! I have no idea why...but the same variety that innundated us last year is producing very, very little this year. Odd.
Jo - Skylark is good. She's 'due' in a week, and her udder is already filling out, so it won't be long now. We have plans to install the baby monitor in the goat shed either tonight or tomorrow (a powerful wireless one) so that we can keep tabs on her at night. As much as we aren't ready to have to milk twice daily, I am looking forward to having goat babies AND fresh raw milk again. :D
Badger, that looks like a Royal Paulownia tree to me (Paulownia tomentosa), also known as an Empress Tree. It originated in China. It grows fast and has pretty flowers. It's considered invasive because those seed pods drop seeds that sprout prolifically. The tree also sprouts right back when cut down. Down here, in the SE US, it's considered a weed tree. But up north, it doesn't grow so fast. It will provide shade, so that might affect your garden plans.
thanks Tulip! I believe you found its name!! who knew it was a weed tree - one seed did drop into a nearby pot 3 years ago and now I have a smaller one in the corner of the garden. I transferred it into the raised bed last fall and it quickly withered up and dropped its leaves - I thought I killed it. But it came back this year and grew about a foot!Quote:
Originally Posted by tulip
I'm not concerned about the tree getting too big as it's got the "bonsai effect" going on, it hasn't grown any bigger since I moved in 10 years ago. Now, as for the smaller one in the corner, THAT might get big as it's got a whole lot more room for its roots to grow. I wonder if I should dig it up now before it gets too big?
So, here I go, I will try to attach my garden pictures!
This is my garden on August 28th. My flower patch is starting to bloom - I'm so excited! There are sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, four oclocks, dahlias, marigolds. A little crowded given the rain we got; I started all these from seeds. I'm just so pleased with that this year.
Everything else just grew way too fast and big this year with the rain, but who's complaining, not me. Here are the first 5 pictures.
Here are the rest of the pictures
I posted my garden pictures finally and I'm so sad that no one commented:(
I didn't see this come up when you posted your pictures...but the sunflowers are lovely! Also love your patio, it would be great to have something like that - thanks for posting the pictures!Quote:
Originally Posted by spokewench
Thanks for looking! I'm very proud of the flowers since everyone of them was started from seed this year! Actually, that is my next door neighbor's deck, but I have a similar one on my house - actually I think it is nicer, of course!;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Catrin
Your photos are beautiful! I don't follow this thread since I'm not a gardener, so I didn't see your photos earlier.
You should be proud of those flowers. Do your sunflower seeds attract a lot of birds?
Because I'm very jealous. You have a beautiful garden and a beautiful back yard. Wish mine was like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by spokewench
Still wondering how you managed to get four photos to go side by side in your post. Maybe something isn't happy with my Linux system.
Spoke - it's beautiful! So lush and goregous! I'm very jealous of your sunflowers. We live in a valley, get full sun all summer and yet we cannot seem to get those things to grow in our yard. It's depressing!
And I think I see a summer squash that needs picking! :p
I'd love to live in a place like that, plenty of trees and a big yard. *sigh* Very nice place you have there!
So nice to see everyone's gardens- they all look great. :D
I am continually ripping out old weary lettuce and bolted cilantro and rusty leaved things, throwing it in the compost bins, and planting new seed so we can have fresh things this Fall.
I actually have not stopped sowing seed all year. Good thing I ordered lots of seed for this year! As a result, we've been eating LOTS of good stuff for months now.
Many beautiful lettuces, also tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, radishes, spinach, green beans, beets, swiss chard, kale, kohlrabi, carrots....all at various times and in various combinations. I have not had such a harvest that I canned or frozen anything though. Except bags of wild blackberries I picked last month. I gave away many armloads of beautiful lettuce all summer. A packet of lettuce seed is such a bargain!
I've made a few miscalculations, but mostly it's been good.
If i can manage to keep the cold loving greens like kale and chard and cabbage coming til December, then we'll be eating from the garden all the way from April to December- 8 or 9 months' worth.
Through mid winter I grow a constant small supply of fresh sprouts in the kitchen and living room in jars...I think of the windowsills full of glass jars as my 'cold frame'. :cool:
Here is a photo from a couple weeks ago- mounds of string beans in the middle, kale on the right, and anise hyssop (for the bees) blooming in front. Chard and carrots behind the kale. The garden is naturally a bit overgrown and jumbled at this point, though I've been merciless at hacking out the old tough stuff.
It's been quite a gardening year!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGz...den-hyssop.jpg
Lisa, it is lovely!:D
Just picked these beautiful French Breakfast radishes, and i cooked the green tops and had them for breakfast, broth and all...YUM!
I love Fall.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGz...een-tops-1.jpg
We are going to freeze any night now; so I got my tomatoes and last harvest into the house. Wow, what a year! I've never seen this many tomatoes in Flagstaff ever! One bowl is full of little pear (yellow) tomatoes, a bunch of celebrity tomatoes, some yellow tomatoes (don't remember what kind).
aaah!! so jealous!!
my growing season this year was a total bust. None of the tomatoes ripened on the vine, no zucchini, just little nubs that fell off, and carrots never got any bigger than a baby size. I had great luck with beans and snow peas, but they kind of had a boom then busted really quickly. All in all it was quite disappointing this year.
I'm so jealous. I have nothing put potted herbs on the windowsill--save the mint, not quite enough to do anything with.
My parents' potted garden (herbs and a pepper plant, mostly) hasn't done well this year at all, as they haven't gotten much in the way of rain this summer.
Now that we've FINALLY had some rain, I'm starting to get a few peppers and lima beans.
If the frost will only hold off...
Hmm...sounds like maybe a pollination issue. Poor pollination will produce stunted fruit or small fruit that doesn't grow beyond baby stage, then shrivels.Quote:
Originally Posted by badger
Are there many bees where you are?
Aren't tomatoes (and peppers) self-pollinating?
With squash, yeah, I'd agree (and they're so easy to hand-pollinate, I'll often do that regardless).
Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
yes! my garden actually attracts quite a number of honeybees and bumblebees, even though I'm in a very urban area.
My guess is things didn't thrive this year because while we had clear weather, it was quite cool in temperature. We never got "hot" weather, just "warm". And all my gardening is done in pots where space is an issue and I hadn't had the heart to space out some of the tomatoes and carrots. So I think it's a combination of cool weather and lack of space that produced not-so-stellar harvest. And I lose a lot of sun past mid-August due to hi-rises near me.
I'm thinking of joining a community garden for next year, some of the crops there are so big and beautiful!